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Prescription Drug Awareness!
Our Goals

Familiarize with commonly abused meds
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Inform about the hazards of addiction and abuse
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Provide convincing statistics
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Increase awareness of the world of medications
General Statistics
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1 in 5 teenagers report having abused a prescription
medication
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Over 2500 teenagers a day experiment with
prescription medications taken from the home
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In 2009 in the United States about 21% of high
school students have taken prescription drugs
without a prescription
Taken from WHO
UCI Statistics: Did You
Know?

Do you know a UCI student who has taken prescription
A.D.D./A.D.H.D. drugs that were not intended for him/her?
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Do you know someone who has required the aid of rehab services
due to any prescription drug abuse?
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Freshman: 52% Sophomores: 36% Juniors: 47% Seniors: 58%
Freshman: 18% Sophomores: 14% Juniors: 22% Seniors: 15%
Do you know someone who has died due to any prescription drug
abuse?
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Freshman: 6% Sophomores: 5% Juniors: 8% Seniors: 6%
Addiction and Abuse:
Definitions
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Addiction: physical and psychological dependence
on a substance

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“Disease of brain reward”
Abuse: use of prescription drugs that were not
prescribed by a physician or used only for the
experience or feeling they cause
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Also called drug misuse
Pain Killers (Often
Opioids)

Binds to opioid receptors in NS and GI tract
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Decreased perception, decreased reaction, and
increased tolerance to pain

HIGHLY abused

Morphine, hydrocodone, codiene, oxycodone,
fentanyl, propoxyphene, tramadol
Vicodin (hydrocodone)

Vicodin is a combination of hydrocodone
and acetaminophen (Tylenol)

Cheap and overly prescribed (easy to
obtain)

Americans spend over $484 billion
annually in vicodin addictions.

Vicodin use and addiction is linked to at
least half of the major crimes in the US

~10-22% of car crashes involve drivers
who use drugs such as Vicodin (NHTSA)
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Vicodin addiction showcased in popular
television series House
Antidepressants/Anxiety
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Mostly SSRIs and SNRIs
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Inhibit the reuptake of serotonin/ norepinephrine for
repeated receptor stimulation
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Sertraline, escitalopram, fluoxetine, paroxetine,
buproprion
Zoloft (sertraline)

Used to treat major depression
as well as OCD and anxiety
disorders

Overly prescribed, easy for
teenagers to steal from parents

Risk of dependency, suicide,
reduced libido
Amphetamines/Psychostimul
ants

Affect levels of dopamine in the brain

“study drugs”: enhances focus, concentration,
attentiveness, confidence, self-esteem

Heavily misused by students
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Adderall, vyvanse, desoxyn, ritalin
Adderall (amphetamine salts)

Prescribed for ADHD and
narcolepsy

Side effects: greatly increases bp,
decreased appetite, akathisia,
amphetamine psychosis (heavy
abuse)
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Performance-enhancing use

Weight-loss use
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High risk of dependency
Ritalin (methylphenidate)

Also prescribed for ADHD and
narcolepsy
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Extensive side effects;
hypersensitivity, dyskinesia,
tachycardia

High potential for abuse and
addiction

Abuse highest among college
students (study longer, party longer)
Prevention

Medical lock boxes for home use
to prevent unauthorized access
to prescription drugs
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Doesn’t fix anything;
EDUCATE teens about the
perils of abuse
Keep in Mind
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Misuse of these drugs is illegal and will result in
imprisonment and fines (varying severity)

Many harmful drug interactions; makes abuse even
more hazardous
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Abuse is widespread; hospital, dentistry, pharmacy
Check out our video!
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9FN2Do4uo
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